11 



had .luthoriseil him to say tliat, without imputing hlamc to anj-^ocly, ho 

 hail been so uufortiinate as not to have obtivined truo blue gum need when 

 ho was seiuling seed to Italy. Therefore it was not, perhaj)*, to bo regi-etted 

 that the attention of dealei-s and the publie had been calleil to the matter. 

 It had, however, been made plain, as Mr. Abbott would show, that mistaken 

 could not easily arise in the seed of Tasmaniau species ; and he hoped that' 

 the press would give the same publicity that they had given to his first 

 Btatement, to the avowal he made that ho was now convinced that seed 

 obtained from respectable seedsmen might be relied upon as true to sort, 

 and that he was mistaken in two instances he had adduced. It would 

 appe;ir that the young plants raised at Govermnent House as an experiment 

 must really be blue gum, though strangely altered by culture, soil, heat, 

 or some other cause, not only in the colour but also in the shape of the 

 leaf. He was happj- to be able to make this statement, and Mr. Abbott 

 deserved great credit for the trouble he has taken in the matter. It had 

 been further represented to him that he had been mistaken in believing 

 that the destruction of timber and ferns on the sides of Mount Wellington 

 was unauthorised ; but that was not the point at all that he had raised ; 

 he did not stop to enquire whether the waste and destruction were authorised 

 or not, or even whether some of it might not be on private property or 

 not. Of course all rights should be respected, but any difi&culty that 

 might at present be incurred in dealing with private rights would bo 

 increased tenfold as years went by, whilst the injury already done was 

 incalculable, and was going on from day to day. It was already the 

 eleventh hour so far as saving the ferns and vegetation of the undergrowth ; 

 a great proportion of the larger trees was already gone. What he desired 

 to do was to impress upon them the necessity of taking steps to secure for 

 the people of this city, and for its visitors, a noble space for amusement, 

 for the study of nature, and for health. He begged of those who had the 

 power whilst there was yet time, to consider the interest not only of 

 themselves but of their children and their children's children. He would 

 ask them to look at the efforts which are being now made in England 

 in this direction, and at the enormous sums that such efforts absorb ; at the 

 American nation, that, with a wise foresight whilst yet there is time, sets 

 aside and reserves a tract of land the size of a county as a recreation 

 ground and field for the study of nature for the American people. That 

 some similar step should be taken here was the poinl to which he had 

 endeavoured to attract attention, and if the public would interest them- 

 Belves in the matter it rested \vith them to benefit not only themselves, but 

 to confer an inailculable benefit on future generations of Tasmanians. He 

 would now ask Mr. Abbott to read his paper. 



Before Mr. Abbott proceeded to comply with the request of the 

 President, 



The Secret.'VRY begged to refer to a resolution passed at the previous 

 meeting, to the effect that a communicatifjn should be addressed to the 

 Corporation, pointing out the mischief that was bei ng done by the des- 

 truction of the fern trees, etc., on Mount Wellington, and suggesting that 

 steps should be taken for preventing s\ich destruction in future in localities 

 over which the City Council exercised any right. In accordance with this 

 resolution, a letter had been addressed by him to the Mayor (letter read). 



Mr. F. Abbott, jun., then read the fi^llowing remarks : — 

 " Notes on Eucdyptus globulus (Blue Oum of Tasmania), compiled for the 



purpijse of showing tho improbability of spurious seed being supplied 



from T;wmauia. 



" Though I was present at the last meeting of this Society, and heard 

 Hi.H Excellency's remarks in reference to the adulteration of blue gum 

 seed, I was not then prepared \m offer any explanation in the matter, as I 

 did not at the moment know the ciicumstuuces that had led to the state- 



